


Wake up! You're in love

by LeeGale



Series: Ad lunam, ut amica, ut mi stultus [9]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Everyone Is Gay, Except Futaba and Sojiro, How Do I Tag, M/M, Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:53:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24019327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeeGale/pseuds/LeeGale
Summary: The wake comes and goes, but there's something Mishima cares more about on his mind...
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Mishima Yuuki, Kitagawa Yusuke/Sakamoto Ryuji, Kurusu Akira/Mishima Yuuki, Mishima Yuuki/Persona 5 Protagonist
Series: Ad lunam, ut amica, ut mi stultus [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1695079
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Wake up! You're in love

The next couple of day flew by, and it was Saturday before Mishima knew it. The day of the wake... He sent Akira a text, saying he wouldn't be in school because he needed to make sure he was ready for the wake. He got a reply within the minute.

** Akira: Are you okay? **

Mishima smiled a little at the other's concern before typing out a response.

_ Me: I'm okay _

** Akira: Text me if you need to **

_ Me: Will do _

He put his phone on the kitchen counter as he started to make himself a coffee using the pod machine, before leaving the machine to do what it needed to so he could go get dressed. He changed into a simple pair of jeans and a t-shirt, planning to dress in his suit not long before the wake started so he had less of a chance to make it dirty, before returning to the kitchen. Realising his coffee was done, he grabbed his cup and took a sip of the delicious cappuccino the machine had made. Mentally, he ran over what he had to do for the day. The house needed a clean before his guests arrived and he needed to collect his suit from the dry cleaners. The house wasn't too messy, so that would be the easiest part, but he needed to leave at twelve to collect his suit, so it'd probably be best to clean up before he does that. Maybe-

The doorbell ringing silenced Mishima's thoughts. He hesitated, unsure as to who would be calling for him at half seven in the morning... Putting his cup on a side, he made sure to grab his phone and his keys (they were a good makeshift weapon that no one would question him having in his pockets, alright?), hiding them in his jeans before walking to the door. Hesitating once more, he checked the peephole in his door. Who he saw had him blinking in surprise and frowning. Sighing, he stepped back, unlocked the door and opened it.

"Boss?" he asked, looking up at the older man and frowning, "Why are you here? The wake isn't until four-thirty..."

"Akira and Futaba wouldn't shut up about you having to sort out the wake on your own, so I brought Futaba along and we're here to help," Boss replied, smiling a little when Futaba appeared from behind him, smiling shakily. Mishima blinked in surprise before moving to let the pair in, frowning slightly.

"You two don't need to..." he muttered, shutting the door behind them and leading them to the kitchen. Both seemed surprised by how... large and expensive the house was, so Mishima sighed and spoke up, "My grandfather on my father's side was extremely rich, since he was a politician. He brought this house for my parents when they got married."

Boss made an understanding noise as Futaba stared in awe at a piece of art on a wall. Mishima smiled slightly at her, stepping next to her and looking at the art too.

"That one is a replica of a portrait of the Egyptian Pharoh Tutankhamun. Father was given it by a colleague of his. A college who now happens to be a politician, actually..." he commented, humming thoughtfully before sighing and turning towards the kitchen, "You don't need to help, but the least I could do is make you both something to drink."

"A politician, huh? Who used to work with your dad? Sounds like Shido Masayoshi..." Boss muttered before speaking up as he and Futaba followed Mishima into the kitchen, "And we do need to help. We promised Akira we would."

Mishima blinked in surprise at the name drop, then again when Boss mentioned Akira. He took a deep breath, ignoring how his heart skipped a beat at the mention of his crush, before speaking up, "It was Shido, actually. And you promised Akira that you'd help me?"

"Yep! He seemed super worried about you!" Futaba piped up, perching at the kitchen table. Mishima hummed curiously, ignoring how his cheeks flushed at the thought of Akira caring enough to worry, before walking over to where he stored his drinks (he had an entire shelf of a cupboard for anything that could be stored in there, and kept anything else the fridge. He'd changed up how everything was stored after his parents died...).

"You ever met Shido?" Boss asked, taking a seat next to Futaba and watching the older teen carefully.

"Once, back before he became a politician. He, Father and Grandfather held a meeting here, so that Father could introduce Shido to Grandfather. Something about Grandfather being Shido's way into the political world..." Mishima replied, smiling slightly as he turned to face the pair, "What would you like to drink?"

"Hot chocolate!" Futaba exclaimed, and Mishima laughed to himself fondly. He agreed, pulling out a bar of dark chocolate that he planned to melt and add to milk and sugar to make into a drink. He told Futaba that much, and she seemed curious about how it would taste. Boss also asked for a plain black coffee.

"I only have instant or for that coffee machine. Which would you prefer?" Mishima asked, grabbing a chopping board and a knife before unwrapping the chocolate bar partially.

"Coffee machine," Boss replied, watching as Mishima broke two strips of the chocolate off. The teen hummed in agreement before returning to the cupboard and grabbing a pod for a normal black coffee. After closing the cupboard door, he took the pod to the machine, grabbing a mug on his way and setting it up so that Boss's coffee would be made. He was silent as he then picked up the chocolate bar and broke off two strips. Rewrapping the bar, he set it off to the side before putting the strips he'd broken off on the board and grabbing the knife. Efficiently, he started to chop the chocolate, making sure it was as small as he could make it. When he was happy with it, he pushed the chopping board (chocolate and all) to the side.

"You're pretty good with a knife," Boss commented, and Mishima shrugged as he grabbed his milk, a saucepan and a mug. Placing the saucepan and mug on a countertop, he then opened the milk and started to pour it into the mug.

"I've been cooking for years," he replied as he finished pouring before transferring the milk to the pan, "I've gotten used to using one."

"Why'd you learn?" Boss asked, his words nearly making Mishima spill the milk. Instead, the teen ignored how his heart squeezed painfully in favour of throwing a smile over his shoulder.

"Mother and Father had very... inconsistent schedules. I learned so that I was not a bother or on their minds if either of them needed to stay at work late," he lied as he leaned to the side, grabbing a spoon. Boss didn't seem to believe him, but Futaba pipping up made him quieten down.

"Why was that?" she asked, and Mishima sent her a quick smile before turning on his stove, letting it heat for a long moment as he replied.

"Mother was a coroner - people die at all sorts of times, and since she was the best one that worked for the government, her hours were often sporadic. And Father often had lots of paperwork or projects he needed to work on, so he needed to stay late," he explained, eventually moving the pot to the stove. He stirred the milk as he let it heat, making sure the bottom didn't burn.

"Paperwork is a pain in the ass," Boss sighed, and Mishima made a noise of agreement. The group fell silent for a while, the only sound that of Mishima working at the stove (he added the chocolate after a few minutes) and the coffee machine working. At least, until the latter dinged.

"Your coffee is done, Boss," Mishima stated glancing at Boss and tilting his head in the direction of the machine. The older man seemed to get the hint, standing and walking over to the machine. He grabbed his drink and returned to his seat as Mishima turned the stove off, carefully pouring the hot chocolate from the saucepan into the cup. He carefully put the saucepan into his sink before looking over at Futaba.

"How many sugars do you want?" he asked her, tilting his head to the side as he grabbed a clean spoon and the sugar pot. The ginger teen seemed to think about it for a second before replying with an excited 'three, please!', so Mishima spooned three sugars into her drink. Giving it a quick stir, he walked over and put the drink on the table.

"I don't have any whipped cream or marshmallows, I'm afraid," he stated, turning back to the counters and grabbing his long-forgotten cappuccino. Leaning against the counter, he watched as Futaba took a ginger sip off her drink after blowing on it. She made a surprised noise before taking another sip, smiling brightly.

"Thanks!" she grinned as she continued to drink, and Mishima nodded silently. The trio were completely silent as they drank their drinks, the lack of noise surprisingly comfortable. It had been a while since Mishima was so relaxed in his own home...

"So, what do you need us to do?" Boss eventually spoke up, having finished his drink. Mishima walked over and grabbed his and Futaba's dirty cups, returning to the sink as he replied.

"You really don't need to help. I'd rather not be a bother..." the teen muttered, voice barely audible as he started to run some water. He grabbed the washing up liquid bottle as Boss sighed and stood, walking closer.

"You're not a bother kid. LeBlanc's shut today because I need ta come to the wake later, so I might as well help ya until then. Or, at least, until I need to leave to get sorted," the older man stated, but Mishima couldn't help it as he continued to worry. Boss seemed to understand that, since he sighed and rolled his eyes before continuing, "Kid, you may not see it, but you need help. You don't need to do everything alone..."

Mishima felt his heart stop at how easily Boss saw through him, his hands shaking as he turned the water off. He didn't say anything, even as he started to wash up (he released a small hiss at how hot the water was, but he knew he deserved it. He was so weak...) and Boss watched him with barely concealed concern. It was silent for a long moment, Boss and Futaba unsure as to what they could say and Mishima trying to make sure he didn't break down, but eventually the bluenette sighed and spoke up.

"Boss, I know you're trying to help but... I can't just let you. I've been doing everything on my own for so long... I can't just rely on others..." his voice was quiet and despondent as he finished washing up, pulling the plug and watching the water go down the drain. He sighed again once the water was gone, grabbing a towel and drying his hands before looking up at Boss and speaking again, in that same voice, "I can't trust anyone, not really. So I can't rely on them..."

"Why can't you trust anyone?" Futaba piped up, voice gentle, almost like she was talking to a spooked stray... It was a decent comparison. Mishima was always afraid, hurt and lost in a way no one knew. He was feral beneath the surface but seemed harmless on the outside... He sighed again, moving to a counter near the door (the very same one he happened to keep the knives on...) and sitting on it. He hesitated, not wanting to have to spill the truth but also wanting to like it was nobodies business...

"People have hurt me to often for that." he eventually replied, eyes on the ground as he reached for the smallest of his knives. Futaba and Boss seemed to tense at that, before just watching curiously as Mishima danced the blade between his fingers as he continued, "People say that they care about you, that you can trust them, that they're your friend, then they just hurt you, abandon you, stab you in the back... In this day and age? Trust -real, honest trust- is a commodity..."

Boss and Futaba gaped at him as he continued to twirl the knife. Neither seemed to know what to say... At least, until Futaba spoke up, her voice a little uncertain as she almost whispered, "But... If you have such bad trust issues, why do you trust me and Akira? You consider us your friends..."

Mishima released a small, humourless laugh as he finally looked up, a pained smile playing at his lips as he spoke, "I'll admit, I trust you guys a little. But not that much. Definitely more than anyone else, but really? There's so much I can't tell you, show you, because I don't trust you completely. Yes, I consider you both friends. But you don't need to completely trust someone for that."

"So... You trust 'em enough to consider them friends, which is pretty massive for you since you don't seem to trust many people, but not enough to let them know you completely?" Boss summarised, and Mishima nodded. Boss and Futaba fell silent as they processed that information, and Mishima felt his anxiety slowly climb. He knew that his stance on trust and friendship was... different and difficult. He knew that people didn't understand and got hurt when he said he didn't trust them completely. He knew that he had issues, and that no one really cared and that he wasn't worth the effort and-

"Eh, fair enough. Gotta say, I agree. I mean, I thought of Futaba's mom as a good friend, but I didn't trust her completely," Boss shrugged, and Mishima blinked in surprise. The older man seemed completely genuine... Mishima didn't believe it, but he let it drop as he forced a smile.

"You two still don't need to help," he changed the topic quickly, and Boss sighed deeply.

"We promised Akira that we would. And that we'd provide photographic proof, else he figured you'd have sent us away," the older man stated, and Mishima blinked in surprise. Futaba made a noise of agreement, forcing herself to grin as she stood from her seat. Mishima's heart skipped a beat at the idea that Akira cared enough about him to send Futaba and Boss to help him... And he'd asked for them to send proof? It was almost as if he knew that Mishima would try to send them away... He sighed and smiled, rolling his eyes before putting the knife away and sliding off the counter.

"Futaba, what do you know about cleaning?" he asked, and the ginger made such a disgusted face that Mishima couldn't fight the laughter that burst from him. He covered his mouth as soon as the sound was out, but the damage was already done. Futaba and Boss were staring at him... He cringed slightly, folding his arms and hunching his shoulders, "I... Uh... I didn't mean to-"

"Okay, I definitely know why Akira has a crush on you now! You have such a cute laugh!" Futaba exclaimed, cutting Mishima off. The older teen blinked in surprise before blushing, ducking his head as he mumbled about how he wasn't cute and how Akira would never have a crush on him. Futaba laughed at that, prompting Mishima to look up as she spoke again, "Have you seen the way he looks at you? Someone would think you hung the moon or something..."

Mishima blushed brighter, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, before muttering, "A... Anyway, I was thinking that, since all I need to do is call the temple, make sure the house is clean for when everyone arrives and collect my suit later, you two could start on the cleaning while I make the call..."

"What about your suit?" Futaba piped up, tilting her head curiously.

"I'm not picking it up from the dry cleaners until twelve," Mishima replied, and Futaba nodded in understanding. The bluenette hesitated before asking if his plan worked, smiling slightly when Boss and Futaba agreed.

"Okay! So, can you two work in here for now? The call shouldn't take long, so I should be done before you guys are..."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

With the help of Boss and Futaba, it took less than two hours for everything to be sorted out. After it was done and dusted, Mishima felt... surprisingly light, in all honesty. He knew that the hardest part of the day (pretending he actually cared about his parents) was yet to come, but... for now? He was content...

"Do you want to go out for brunch?" Boss suddenly piped up from where he'd been sat on one of the kitchen table chairs and scrolling through his phone. Futaba and Mishima looked up from where they'd been discussing how to efficiently work through the constant hate the Phantom Thieves got on the Phansite, focusing on him and tilting their heads until he expanded, "Mishima, you obviously haven't eaten yet this morning. Futaba and I may have, but all that cleaning's made me hungry."

Mishima blinked in surprise, the question to ask how Boss knew he hadn't eaten on the tip of his tongue, but Futaba piped up first. She grinned brightly at the suggestion before exclaiming, "Sure! Why don't we go to that diner in Shibuya? You know the one Yuuki! Where we first met!"

Mishima hesitated, frowning, and opened his mouth to argue (he didn't want to waste money like that!) but Boss cut him off.

"I'll pay," he stated. Mishima's frown deepened. He didn't want Boss to feel like he had to pay for him... He didn't want Boss to go out of his way for him... He-

"Just get your coat and shoes, kid," Boss ordered, smirking slightly and rolling his eyes. Mishima continued to hesitate, so the older man became a tad more serious as he spoke again, "Okay. You know we promised we'd give Akira photographic proof we helped you? He asked us to do the same with proof of you eating."

Mishima blinked in surprise. Akira... Akira really care that much? the bluenette felt his cheeks flush slightly, his heart skipping a beat as a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He hesitated for another moment before sighing and agreeing. Futaba whooped joyfully as the older teen stood, calling over his shoulder to say he was getting his coat and shoes on. He did so quickly, smiling when he realised that Futaba and Boss had followed him.

"Ready to go?" Boss asked, tilting his head to the side. Mishima nodded, making sure he had his keys (he'd left them in the door after unlocking it earlier) and his phone before opening the door. After they were all out, he locked it and smiled brightly. Boss smiled back, walking over to his car and unlocking the door...

-=-=-=-=-=-=

When the trio got to the diner, Futaba insisted that they sat in the booth that she'd been sitting in with Akira when she and Mishima met. Boss and the blue teen in question shared an amused look before agreeing, both smiling fondly when Futaba grinned. They made their way to the booth, all siding in quickly. Mishima was glad to find himself on the end next to Futaba, uncomfortable with the idea of being trapped between someone and the wall... A waitress walked over, smiling.

"Hi! What can I get you?" she asked, eyes scanning the group for a second before focusing on Mishima. The teen felt something akin to uneasiness rolling over his skin as she stared at him, something a little dark in her eyes... It kinda reminded him of how Kamoshida looked sometimes...

"I'll have a steak and a black coffee. Kids?" Boss spoke up, stealing the waitress's attention. Mishima felt more relaxed the moment her eyes were off of him, but she looked back as soon as she was done writing down Boss's order. The teen hesitated before muttering.

"Just a chicken salad and an iced caramel latte, please," he ordered, ducking his head and avoiding the waitress's eye. She hummed in agreement, jotting it down before focusing on Futaba. The ginger seemed to hesitate before asking for an English-style breakfast and a hot chocolate.

"Alrighty then! I'll be back with your order as soon as possible!" the waitress left with a flirty smile in Mishima's direction. It was quiet for a moment before Futaba burst into laughter.

"She was so into you!" she giggled, prompting Mishima to roll his eyes shyly.

"I picked up on that..." he mumbled, cheeks alight. Futaba giggled again, so he smiled fondly at her. She really was like a little sister... Futaba smiled brightly at him before something mischievous started to dance in her eyes, her lips tugging into a small smirk.

"So... How long have you had a crush on Akira?" she asked, tone innocent as Mishima started to choke on air. He took a moment to pull himself together before glaring at her, visibly flustered.

"I... You... It's... I don't!" he stuttered, but the disbelieving look Futaba sent him made him blush more. He tried to argue a little more but was cut off.

"We're not judging ya, kid," Boss stated, smiling a little, "We just... wanna know if you're good enough for him, if-" 

"I'm not," Mishima butted in firmly, shrugging before continuing, a little shyly, "I'm not, so... Pl... Please don't tell him..."

It was silent for a long moment before Boss sighed and spoke up, "You put him on a pedestal, don't ya?"

"I... I'm realistic." Mishima countered, slouching slightly and fiddling with an elastic band he'd pulled from his pocket, "I... Akira is amazing. And I'm... not. That's all there is to it."

"...You're better than you think. But, to be honest, your crush sounds more like admiration for who you think he is..." Futaba observed. Mishima considered her words for a long moment before speaking.

"It... It was, at first... When I first st... started to like him, it was because he'd saved me, because he'd helped. It stayed like that for a while, but slowly, surely... My feelings changed. For ages, I thought of him as this perfect, unattainable person who would hate me if I even asked to be friends... But he showed me otherwise. He... He cared. He's been so kind to me... But it's so much more than that. At first, I only liked him because of some misplaced sense of awe, because I thought he was a hero... I eventually realised he isn't as perfect as I thought, but that... That just made him so much better, you know? No one's perfect, and all his little imperfections are just so... endearing. And annoying as hell, since he clearly doesn't realise just how amazing he is..." The bluenette explained, an unbidden smile tugging at his lips as he pictured Akira. It was true - he had originally liked Akira just because he'd helped, but his feelings had changed, evolved, blossomed into something more...

"You... You say that like you think he has confidence issues..." Futaba stated, frowning as she focused on the easiest part to go into (the last sentence), and Mishima smiled slightly at her before looking down at his elastic band.

"I think he does, actually," he replied, frowning a little as Futaba and Boss raised their eyebrows at him, "He... He obviously has issues opening up to people about how he's feeling. He plays everything off like he doesn't care, but... It's obvious how much he does. But he tries to hide it. I may be wrong, but... I don't know, it's almost like he's scared to show any weakness because he thinks those he cares for will leave or hurt him or something... He tries to act perfect -which fooled me for a while, before I got closer to him and realised that he isn't- and like he can't be hurt, but... He's so hurt. You can see it in his eyes... But he acts like he isn't affected at all, because he's scared that, if he lets his guard down and shows that he's just human, those that rely on him to be perfect will leave..."

Futaba and Boss didn't know what to say to that as Mishima sat silently before he sighed and forced himself to smile, speaking again in a faux cheerful voice, "Anyway! I'm probably overthinking it."

He forced himself to smile, even as Futaba opened her mouth to say something before promptly getting cut off by the waitress reappearing with a tray. She smiled as she handed out the trio's order, lingering when she got to Mishima. The blue teen was quiet as he thanked her, purposefully not meeting her eyes as he took a small sip of his coffee.

"Oh, it's nothing, handsome." she flirted, oblivious to how uncomfortable Mishima was. Futaba snorting caught her attention. She glared slightly at the ginger girl before forcing herself to smile and speak, "Is something funny?"

"Only that Yuuki has a boyfriend," Futaba lied, a cheeky grin tugging at her lips. The waitress blinked in surprise before huffing slightly and leaving. Mishima was busy blushing brightly and subtly glaring at Futaba, but he spoke as soon as the woman was out of hearing range.

"I... I don't have a boyfriend!" he hissed, cheeks still aflame as Futaba chuckled.

"She doesn't know that!" the smaller teen almost sang, and Mishima paused. That was true... He rolled his eyes and smiled fondly as Futaba launched into a story about a game she'd played, the last of the heavy atmosphere that had been lingering dissipating...

-=--==--==---===---===---===--==--==-=

A few hours later, Mishima was ready for the wake. After he, Boss and Futaba had finished eating, he'd insisted that they went home so Boss could get sorted for the wake, and it had been nearly twelve, so he'd gone to collect his suit. When he'd gotten home, he'd wasted as much time as he could on the Phansite before having a shower, letting his hair dry naturally as he did more work on the site, got dressed and styled his hair. By the time he was ready, it was only five minutes to four, so he still had more than half an hour to wait until anyone attending the wake would be arriving...

Or so he had thought, until the doorbell rang. The sudden sound made him jump up from where he'd been sat on the couch. Checking the time to make sure that, no, he was right, none of the others should have arrived yet, he hesitated. He didn't move for a long moment, but his phone buzzing had him checking it. He blinked in surprise before smiling and rolling his eyes, tucking his phone into his pocket as he headed to the door. He opened it with a raised eyebrow.

"You're not supposed to be here for half an hour," he stated, smiling slightly as his aunt smiled down at him (despite being roughly the same height normally, she was wearing slight heals, so was taller). He moved to the side to let her in, shutting the door behind her. Silently, they walked to the kitchen together. Once there, Mishima offered Kawakami a drink, but she declined. They fell silent again until Kawakami spoke.

"I still don't get why we had to meet here..." she grumbled, and Mishima smiled slightly.

"Father altered his and Mother's funeral plans a few days before he... Yeah, and he asked for everyone who was attending to meet here before travelling to the wake and cremation together. Probably wanted to show the house off one last time..." he replied, shrugging before stretching. Kawakami made a noise of agreement, carefully sitting at the table. It was quiet again, the only sound that of the TV playing in the living room...

"So... Kurusu seemed really worried about you today. He kept looking over at your chair. And I heard Takamaki ask where you were..." Kawakami suddenly spoke up, and Mishima blinked in surprise. Akira... was worried? He blushed slightly, a small smile tugging at his lips as he muttered out a reply.

"I... He knew the wake is today. He was probably worried about how I feel..." he was quiet, voice soft but happy. Kawakami made a noise of agreement, frowning as she watched Mishima reach for the same knife he'd been fiddling with when Boss and Futaba were there and start to mess with it.

"I understand why he'd be worried..." she stated, but Mishima sent her a small smile.

"I'm fine," the teen said, and he was telling the truth. After the funeral, he wouldn't have to think about his parents anymore... And the wake was just a prelude to that. It made him happy, unexpectedly so, but he didn't dwell on that as he continued, "I really am."

Kawakami seemed to hesitate before nodding, and Mishima smiled. They both pulled out their phones in sync, even as Mishima continued to twirl the knife in one hand. They fell silent again, both absorbed in their devices... At least, until a 'click' resonated from Kawakami's. Mishima looked up instantly, freezing when he realised she'd taken a picture of him. He went to argue, to tell her to delete it, but she spoke first.

"I sent it to Kurusu. He wanted proof that you were okay..." she stated, and Mishima was promptly distracted by the thought that she'd sent it to  _ Akira  _ of all people. Did he look like a mess? How ugly was he? Why'd she have to take a picture when he wasn't paying attention? He must look so plain-

The doorbell ringing stopped that train of thought, and the teen sighed. Taking a deep breath, he prepared himself for a long few hours...

-=-=-=--==--==---===--==-=-=-=

The wake ran smoothly, and Mishima came out of it with 143000 yen in condolence money (and it may seem harsh to only be happy about the money, but the teen hadn#t liked his parents in years so...). It had been a rather simple affair, and after everyone had returned to the Mishima household so they could gather their cars and such, Boss approached him.

"Hey, kid. Akira wanted to know if you'd visit him at LeBlanc," he stated, voice quiet and eyes soft. The teen hesitated, considering it, and was about to agree when Kawakami walked over.

"Hey Yuuki," she greeted, moving to stand next to the teen. She tilted her head at Boss, curious as she examined him (they had already recognised each other, but hadn't had the chance to speak) before speaking to him, "You're Kurusu's current guardian, right? Sakura?"

Boss nodded, eyes darting between her and Mishima as he replied, "Yeah. And you're his homeroom teach, Kawakami?"

Mishima could see how Boss seemed to be internally questioning why Kawakami spoke up, so he cut in with a quiet, "She's also my aunt. But we don't tell people that, in case they believe she will play favourites at school."

Boss blinked in surprise at that before making a 'huh' sound and nodding. He seemed to eye Kawakami for a long moment before speaking again, "So... I was asking Mishima if he wanted to come to LeBlanc to see Akira and Futaba, but I'll guess you want him?"

"I... I actually have a date tonight, so I don't," Kawakami replied, shrugging slightly before smiling apologetically at Mishima. The teen sent her a look that told her not to worry, so she smiled one last time before leaving. Everyone else was already gone, so Boss turned to Mishima.

"You ready to go?" he asked, and Mishima hesitated.

"I should probably change..." he muttered, but Boss shook his head.

"Nah," the older man stated, smiling a little, "Futaba really wants to see how you look in a suit..."

Mishima hesitated again, but then remembered that Akira may have seen that picture Kawakami sent him, but a picture didn't quite do the real thing justice... With a sigh, he agreed and followed Boss to his car.

===---===---===---==--==--=-==--===---===---===---

It didn't take long for them to get to LeBlanc, but by the time they did Mishima's stomach had let out at least seven growls and Boss had already made him agree to eating when they got there. The teen hadn't put up much of a fight for once, but that may have been because he was so drained from pretending to care about his parents that he just wanted to sleep... When the pair arrived at LeBlanc, they were greeted by the sight of no one in the cafe and quiet chatter coming from upstairs. Boss smirked slightly and spoke softly.

"You go sneak up and surprise them," he told Mishima. The blue teen hesitated before nodding, a small smirk of his own tugging at his lips. Boss smiled slightly at him before gesturing towards the stairs. Silently, Mishima tiptoed over to the stairs, sneaking up partway but freezing when he heard a voice other than Futaba or Akira...

"I mean, he's so pretty!" Sakamoto complained, and Mishima relaxed slightly. He hesitated, unsure how the others would feel about him over-hearing their conversation before coming to a decision. He took a deep breath before walking at a normal volume, not attempting to hide his presence. A few steps later, the wood creaked enough to catch the group upstairs attention (a group that consisted of Niijima, Futaba, Akira, Sakamoto and Takamaki, Mishima had realised). They seemed to fall silent for a second before a shakey voice spoke up.

"A... Akira... What was that?" Niijima asked, eyes on the stairs but somehow missing the approaching blue fluff that was Mishima's hair.

"I don't know..." Akira replied, and there was a small amount of shuffling before Mishima was actually visible to the group. There was a moment of silence as the teen finished climbing the stairs, a small, mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

"Hello," he greeted, his smile growing when Futaba and Sakamoto openly started to gape at him. The entire group was silent for a long moment before Sakamoto let out a wounded noise.

"Dude! No one has the right to look that good in a suit!" he moaned, pouting. Mishima's cheeks flushed brightly as he ducked his head, completely ignorant to a certain someone glaring at Sakamoto... When he did look up, though, he saw Akira watching him closely, and his cheeks got even darker.

"I... Uh..." he stuttered, ducking his head again, "Boss told me to not bother changing after the wake. Said something about Futaba wanting to see the suit..."

"I'm glad he did!" Takamaki piped up, grinning as she observed Mishima from her seat next to Niijima. The blue teen looked up shyly, and she smirked as she continued, "You look really good!"

Mishima's blush flared up again as he ducked his head, mumbling, "Uh... I... Boss is downstairs..."

"Coffee!" Futaba exclaimed, rushing past Mishima and down the stairs. The bluenette laughed slightly, distracted by his embarrassment enough for a rush of fondness to burn his veins. Rolling his eyes, he suggested the others follow as he turned and copied Futaba (although, at a much more subdues and safer pace). He was about half-way down the stairs when he heard the group upstairs shuffling to follow, before smiling slightly at them when they were all in the actual cafe. At the counter, Boss was already making coffee for everyone, Futaba chattering away at him.

"Hey, Boss!" Sakamoto greeted, grinning as he moved to sit in a booth (and by sit, I mean slouch and take up an entire side of the booth). Boss echoed the greeting, smiling slightly as all of the teens found somewhere to sit. Except for Mishima, who felt more comfortable leaning against the counter next to where Akira was sat. The taller teen was staring at him...

"You look good," Akira muttered so only Mishima could hear, and the bluenette flushed a bright pink, ducking his head shyly as he began to mumble that he really didn't, that-

"Just take the compliment," Akira ordered, smiling fondly, and Mishima found himself doing just that, unable to fight against the soft look in the taller teen's eye. Akira's smile somehow became even fonder as he looped an arm around Mishima's waist, paying no heed to the smaller teen's surprised squeak. However, the noise did catch someone else's attention...

"Dude!" Sakamoto piped up, pouting slightly as he looked at the pair, "C'mon Akira! All the cute girls want ya already, so you don't get to steal all the cute boys too!"

Mishima blushed brightly at that, ducking his head and covering his face with his hands as Akira chuckled and leaned into his side, speaking up smoothly, "Considering I don't want any of the girls, I'm allowed to steal all the guys I like."

That made the entire room go silent. Akira continued to smirk slightly, but Mishima could feel how his arm tightened around his waist. The bluenette didn't want his crush to feel uncomfortable, so he removed his hands and focused on Akira. Tapping the other teen's arm to catch his attention, he smiled slightly, reassuringly, and Akira relaxed instantly, leaning further into Mishima's side. Ignoring how hot his cheeks were, the smaller teen lowered an arm so that it was resting on Akira's shoulders, and that seemed to spur the taller teen on as he let his head fall onto Mishima's chest. The pair stayed like that for a long moment, but Akira stiffened as soon as Niijima spoke up.

"Um... Akira... Does that mean you're gay too?" she asked, and Akira relaxed against Mishima's side, even as the bluenette focused on Niijima. He hesitated, unsure what he could say, but Akira spoke first.

"I am. And you are?" he kept his voice steady, even as his gripped Mishima's shirt, his anxiety not completely gone. The smaller teen felt a combination of pride, joy and love hit him as- Wait, love? What? It was just a crush... He didn't love Akira, right? Of course not, not yet, he-

"I am," Niijima replied, and the soft, accepting smile Akira sent her made Mishima breath catch in his throat.

_ Oh _ , the bluenette thought, staring down at Akira, _ holy shit. I'm in love... _

He forced himself to shove that thought into a box and hide it deep, deep, deep in the back of his mind, feigning a smile at Akira when the taller teen looked up at him. He seemed worried, but Mishima just kept smiling, so he looked away.

"So few of us are straight..." Takamaki mused, tapping her chin as her eyes flitted over the rest of the group. Her words drew several confused looks from everyone (except Mishima, but only because he was perceptive enough to know what she meant) so she continued, "I mean, Mishima is pan -well, he goes by bi, but only because people are panphobic-, Akira is gay, Makoto is a lesbian, Ryuji is still figuring himself out but he has a massive crush on Yusuke, and I'm bi!"

There was a moment of silence before Futaba piped up with a fond, "Aww! That means Sojiro and I are the only straight ones here!"

Mishima briefly considered how weird it was that Futaba called her dad by his first name, but was promptly distracted by Akira mumbling into his suit jacket.

"I missed you at school," his voice was soft, like the admission was some great secret, and Mishima's heart skipped a beat. Akira... missed him? That... That was adorable, in all honesty, and Mishima could barely restrain himself from leaning down and pressing a kiss to Akira's hair. But he managed to stop himself, instead smiling softly and echoing the sentiment. Akira looked up at his, tilting his head slightly, before grinning.

"Are you staying for diner?" he asked, his grin growing when Mishima said he was. The bluenette's heart skipped a beat, but he ignored that as he smiled back at Akira.

For once, Mishima felt truly happy...


End file.
